The Art Of Spiritual Hygiene: 7 Daily Rituals Of People Who Keep Bad Energy Out Of Their Lives
Good vibes aren't an accident; they're a practice.
Illia Melnichuk | Unsplash The best feeling in the world is sitting in a hot, bubbly bath or taking a steamy shower after a long day. Most of us recognize the importance of maintaining good physical hygiene. But taking care of yourself should not be limited to how you look and smell.
Spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional well-being are equally important when considering your body, mind, and environment. And one of the most neglected areas of our wellness is our spiritual health. By paying attention and maintaining good energy, we can reach our greatest potential.
What is spiritual hygiene? Spiritual hygiene refers to the practice of paying attention to your energy or aura and using spiritual practices to repel unwanted energy to maintain your energetic state. Spiritual hygiene practices are used to keep negative energy at bay, alleviate anxiety and depression, and generate more positive energy.
How do you know if you have poor spiritual hygiene? There are many signs of bad spiritual hygiene that you may overlook. It could come from absorbing the negativity of others, holding onto the past, or self-neglect. Some of the signs you might have poor spiritual hygiene are:
- Inability to stop your mind from running wild
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Excessive drama and conflict
- Inability to focus
- Easily angered
- Unusually emotional
- Financial trouble
TikToker KadyRoxz shares another way to tell if your spiritual hygiene is in need of maintenance. She tells viewers to look around at who shows up when you are at your lowest:
Here are 7 daily rituals of people who keep bad energy out of their lives:
1. Meditate or practice mindfulness
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To meditate or practice mindfulness simply means you are aware and in the present moment, not harping on the past or worrying about the future.
It is the act of contemplating and reflecting on where you are in life in a calm and peaceful way. You are sitting with your thoughts and allowing the world around you to move as you stay still and think.
By practicing non-judgmental awareness, individuals can break negative thought cycles, develop self-awareness, and learn to respond to challenges with more balance. Research shows these practices can decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce cravings, and increase overall feelings of calm and focus.
2. Spend time alone
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Learning to be alone is one of the best things you can teach yourself. Solitude allows you to completely focus on your energy without considering anyone else’s. Alone time can help clear your mind, make informed decisions, and be 100% authentic without concerns for how you will be received by others.
Transformational coach Jean Walters explains that solitude provides essential rest for your nervous system, which becomes overstimulated by constant external stimulation. She emphasizes that in solitude, "when the chaos of the world dissolves, what remains is you." By discarding the roles you perform and discovering your most authentic self without concern for how you'll be received or judged.
3. Loosen up
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Sometimes we get way too serious about life and forget to live in the moment and have fun. With everything going on around us, it is hard to take time out and enjoy life. This constant state of stress creates negative vibes and makes manifesting that much more difficult. It is okay to stop and smell the roses. Your problems will still be there when you finish.
This is the essential first step, where you acknowledge the reality of a person or situation that is no longer serving you. One study suggested that by accepting the past without resistance, you prevent it from weighing down your present.
4. Write it down
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Keeping a diary or journaling is a great way to get your thoughts out, play around with them, and get rid of any that do not serve you. Writing things down puts them into perspective and helps you to make sense of your life.
You are then able to go back and reflect on where you were to see how far you have come. Putting thoughts on paper gets them out of your head, which creates a sense of emotional and cognitive distance from the distressing ideas. Writing provides an outlet to release pent-up emotions like anger, frustration, and sadness, which can reduce the physical and mental stress of emotional inhibition.
5. Try a spiritual cleansing
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The symbolic act of cleansing negative energy can provide a powerful and tangible way to let go of emotional burdens, one study explained. Rituals help people manage and mark significant life events, such as moving into a new home or recovering from a breakup.
A spiritual cleansing can be done in many ways, but they all have the same anticipated outcomes. Find one that works for you and do it regularly:
Burn sage or palo santo.
You’ve likely heard the age-old practice of burning sage to rid yourself of negativity. Palo santo has the same effect.
Find some at your local market, bundle it together, and walk through your space to remove bad energy.
Incorporate crystals.
Not only do crystals give off their own good energy, but they can also absorb negative energy around them. Choose your crystal of choice and place it in any environment you frequent.
Remember to clean yours regularly to remove any bad energy they have absorbed.
Take salt baths.
Taking a salt bath to remove unwanted energy has been practiced since the beginning of time. You can put it in the bathtub and soak in it or combine it with essential oils to boost your protection.
As an alternative, some people sprinkle it around the perimeter of their home to keep evil away.
6. Move around
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If your body is stagnant, expect your spirit to follow suit. When you think about it, everything around us is constantly moving, from the Earth to time, and even the blood pulsing through our bodies. Getting active will increase oxytocin (your happiness hormone) and help shift your mood and vibration. So, get out and walk, run, dance, or swim. Whatever your choice of exercise is, just get moving.
When your body remains stagnant, your spirit stagnates along with it, trapping heavy or negative energy within. According to health and empowerment coach Sandra Donati, even as little as 30 minutes of exercise releases endorphins that work like morphine to alleviate pain and stress.
7. Watch what you eat
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We’ve all heard that you are what you eat, and that is absolutely true. Food has its own unique energy, and ingesting it transfers that energy to you. Consider your own diet and decide what energy you want and what you can do without. Remember that food allergies and sensitivities can disrupt your flow as well, so find out what is ailing you and remove it from your meals.
According to a 2023 study, mindful eating is a practice that directly counters bad energy by addressing the emotional and psychological triggers that drive unhealthy eating. It involves bringing full attention to the experience of eating, which helps break the cycle of mindless and emotional eating.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She focuses on lifestyle and human interest stories that deliver informative and actionable guidance on interpersonal relationships, enlightenment, and self-discovery.
